| ‘What are you waiting for?’ Learn about launching a JAG program When asked what she would say to a school considering implementing the Jobs for America’s Graduates (JAG) program, new JAG-SD specialist Nicole Fette, Roosevelt High School, had five words: “What are you waiting for?” The Jobs for America’s Graduates program seeks to connect with students who have barriers to success and empower them to graduate from high school and move confidently toward the realization of their dreams. JAG-SD is a program supervised by the South Dakota Department of Education and is a proven program that supports students to stay in school through graduation. Jobs for America's Graduates (JAG) is a state-based national nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting young people of great promise. We reached out to two schools that launched programs in fall 2021 to find out how their first year is going. In the 2021-22 school year, Lyman High School, Oelrichs High School, and Roosevelt High School (Sioux Falls) joined the JAG-SD family. They join existing programs at Andes Central Middle and High School, Bennett County High School, Todd County High School, and Wagner Middle and High School. Fette is the department chair of the alternative learning department at Roosevelt. Her father was the school counselor for many years in Wagner, where the JAG program is well-established, and she knows one of the district’s JAG specialists Renee VanDerWerff. The program’s success piqued her interest, and she is grateful for the opportunity to start implementing it now at her own school. Chad Johnson is Lyman High School’s JAG specialist. Previously, he was the middle school language arts teacher. He is also the head wrestling coach and a bus driver for the district. "When the district advertised the JAG specialist position, I had no idea what the program was, but upon doing some research, I felt like it was a bit of a calling,” Johnson said. “I've always felt it was important to get students active and involved in communities, and this program felt like the vehicle to do it, to make them better citizens, better leaders, and understand possible career paths. We've covered a variety of topics, including career development, employability, investing, financial literacy, car buying, community service through our Career Association, and project-based learning. It was a little bit of a leap of faith to leave 17 years of classroom stability to move into a new position. We’re still figuring out what we are, what we are not, and how to make the best experience for our students." Johnson and Fette both dove right in by taking some of their JAG students to the Leadership Development Conference at Western Dakota Tech in October. Activities included a campus tour, teambuilding, breakout sessions, leadership training, and getting to know students from all the other JAG-SD schools.
JAG is a class taught in high schools and middle schools by a JAG specialist, who is an employee of the school district. The credit class can satisfy an elective credit required for high school graduation. Students are empowered to take the lead on planning projects centered on civic responsibility, leadership, social interaction, academic performance, and professionalism.
In Lyman, Johnson’s students have been involved in community service projects and learning about community organizations like the Presho Area Chamber of Commerce and the Kennebec Town and Country Club. Fette and Johnson have both brought in a number of professionals to talk with students about different kinds of careers. And through a special grant from AT&T, Dakota State University students are visiting JAG schools to offer interactive programming on cybersecurity issues.
“Sometimes at the beginning, especially, I felt like, gosh, it would really be nice if someone just gave me a binder and said, ‘Here do this,’” Fette said. “But doing this is very different for a school in Presho compared to a school like Roosevelt. They have opportunities that don't exist here. And we have opportunities that don't exist there. So it needs to be personalized.” JAG students collectively decide how projects, class assignments, and community engagement activities are carried out by electing a governing body, assigning leadership roles, then holding each other accountable.
JAG students across the state are participating in a new yearlong project called Capitol Conversations, through which they engage with a variety of leaders to learn about the role of building relationships to help create change. In January, JAG students visited the Capitol to learn more about the legislative process. They spoke with the Governor, legislators, Department of Education leadership, and representatives of the South Dakota Retailers Association and Associated School Boards of South Dakota. Students have also invited local legislators into their schools.
At the annual statewide Career Development Conference held each spring, students have the opportunity to compete in public speaking, employability skills, financial literacy, and project-based learning events through which they can qualify to compete at the National Career Development Conference. Fette and Johnson both look forward to the program evolving at their schools as new students come into the program and current students continue. After JAG students leave high school, JAG specialists maintain regular contact with them for a year to help ensure they successfully pursue postsecondary and career goals. “There's more to life than having a job,” Fette said. “You should have a passion and a career that is meaningful and fulfilling. And I find that in working with students who haven't always been believed in or haven't always had confidence or seen their worth. Being part of their journey to see that they have value is the most rewarding work I could probably ever do in my life.” Learn more about JAG-SD and how to launch a program by visiting the JAG-SD webpage. |
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